


breaking at the britches

by growlery



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Infidelity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-23
Updated: 2012-06-23
Packaged: 2017-11-08 10:11:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/442078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/growlery/pseuds/growlery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin broke up with Gwaine months ago, but he hasn't been able to keep himself away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	breaking at the britches

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this prompt](http://kinkme-merlin.livejournal.com/31491.html?thread=31233539#t31233539) at the kink meme. Title is from Skinny Love by Bon Iver.

“We shouldn’t- fuck, stop it, stop distracting me,” Merlin says, arching unwillingly against Gwaine, “this is important, we shouldn’t- we shouldn’t be doing this.”

He forces himself to take a step back and it hurts, distancing himself from Gwaine, but he knows it’ll hurt more if he doesn’t. Gwaine’s smiling lazily at him, leaning back against the wall, but there’s something about his eyes Merlin recognises and it makes his chest twist. He’s never liked hurting Gwaine, even when things got really bad between them, even when Merlin hated him so much it burned. 

“That’s not what you said last time,” Gwaine drawls. “I seem to remember you were very vocal about me _not_ stopping.”

Merlin narrows his eyes, any sympathy drying up in an instant. 

“Fuck you,” he spits, and Gwaine laughs. 

“You said that a lot as well,” he says, and Merlin wants to punch his stupid face in and kiss the smirk off his lips and he can’t, _shouldn’t_ do either of those things, so he just takes another step back. 

“We can’t do this,” Merlin enunciates. “You’ve got Elena now and I’m trying to make it work with Gilli and-”

“You don’t love him,” Gwaine says idly, like this is _fact_ , like this is something he’s allowed to just say. 

“I don’t _hate_ him,” Merlin says, and it’s vicious, he knows it is, but he can’t bring himself to be anything but satisfied when Gwaine visibly flinches. 

“Fine,” he says quietly, “ _fine_.” 

Gwaine detaches himself from the wall, runs a hand through his stupid hair, opens his mouth like he’s going to toss out something devastatingly witty, and Merlin braces himself. 

“Goodbye, Merlin,” Gwaine says, softly, and it sounds more final than it did after Merlin punched him in the face and told him to get out, get out of his apartment, get out of his life, get _out_. 

Merlin flinches, but Gwaine misses it because he’s already turned away to leave.


End file.
